A dad has told of the moment he thought he would bleed to death in front of his son after being stabbed in Byker McDonald’s.

The 29-year-old victim - was wishes to remain anonymous due to fears for his safety - was in the restaurant in Potts Street with his 15-year-old son when they were attacked by a knife-wielding youth.

Leaping to his son’s defence, the victim was stabbed in the upper leg with a two-inch blade and had to be rushed to the Royal Victoria Infirmary where he received stitches.

Diners - including young children - watched on in horror at the attack which happened at around 4pm on Tuesday January 19 and left pints of blood on the floor.

McDonalds drive thru and restaurant in Byker

A 16-year-old boy from Walker, who cannot be named due to legal reasons, has now been jailed for the assault.

The victim told the Chronicle at the time of the attack: “I saw the knife but did not realise I had been stabbed at first. Then, I noticed my trousers were covered in blood. My blood was all over the floor, and everyone was screaming. It was petrifying. I feared for my life.

“I am scared to go out of the house now and won’t go out unless someone is with me.”

Mum Natalie Hornby, 22, from Walker, was also in the restaurant with her two-year-old daughter Brianna-Lily when the attack happened.

Knife used in attack at McDonalds in Byker

She said: “Everyone was shouting. We just did not know what to do. There was blood all over the floor and someone had to mop it up. For my daughter to see something like that is just so scary.”

Police quickly tracked down the attacker and he was charged with wounding with intent to commit grievous bodily harm and threatening a person with a bladed article.

He has been sent to a detention centre for 20 months after pleading guilty to the offences at Newcastle Crown Court.

Det Insp Darren Adams, of Northumbria Police said: “By choosing to carry and use a knife the offender could have seriously injured or even killed the victim during this incident.

“There were families and children inside the McDonald’s when the stabbing took place, all of who saw what happened and were left extremely frightened by it.

The Byker McDonalds stabbing victim, who does not want to be identified, shows his blood stained trousers with knife cut visible, Newcastle

“Behaviour like this is incredibly dangerous and will not be tolerated. Anyone who uses a knife or any weapon to intimidate and threaten their victim should be left in no doubt that we will do everything we can to arrest them and bring them to justice.

“We will continue to work to get those who carry knives off our streets and behind bars.

“I’d also like to praise and thank the officers involved in this investigation. Their quick response and thorough enquiries led to the teenage offender being identified and arrested quickly and the knife used in the attack to be seized and destroyed. Their good work has led to a knife now off the streets and a dangerous individual behind bars.”